in/after ten minutes?

Question

What is the difference between I will finish (in/after) 10 minutes?Thank you!

Goodman · Accepted Answer

In -is within the 10 minute window.

After -is beyond the 10 minute window.

Marius Hancu · Answer

In other words:

after 10 minutescan be: 11 minutes later, or tomorrow morning

You don't want such confusions when say you're scheduling a date.

Magic79 · Answer

1font00Goodman, you say02font02br
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00 IN 10 minutes = 7,8,9,10 minutes01font00.02font02br
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01font00AFTER 10 minues = 11,12,13,14 minutes02font02br
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00AFTER means I will finish 11,12, or 13 minutes ( not within the confine of 10 minutes but really more than 10 minutes) from now!!!!!?02br
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01font00Marius, I did not understand the confusion...i think i need examples.02font02br
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00This is what I understand about IN and AFTER according to Longman Dictionary of American English.02br
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00Example 1: 01font00I will leave 01font01font00in02font00 02font0010 minutes02font00 ( It is 1:00 now and I will leave at 1:10)02br
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00Diagram of Example ONE. IN is related to the present point.... 02br
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00_______now01i0010 minutes_02i00x01i00___02i02br
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00Example 2: 01font00I will leave 01font00after 02font0010 minutes02font00 (It is 1:00 now and 01u00will leave 10 minutes after we arrive02u00. Thus, I may arrive at the place 1:30..and will leave 10 minutes after I arrive (1:40). 02br
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00Diagram of Example TWO . 02br
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01i00____02i00 now____arrive01i0010 minutes_02i00x___02br
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00AFTER implicitly means 01u0010 minutes after his arrival 02u00about two points in the future 02br
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00Please clarify my understanding!!0-

Magic79 · Answer

0YES YES YES02br
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00Now I understand you perfectly Goodman and Marius!02br
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00Thanks for your answers...It is soooo easy to understand the difference between 01i00in 02i00and 01i00after02i00 the way both of you presented it.02br
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00In = within a 10-minute window02br
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00After = beyond the 10-,minute window02br
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00Yes Marius! It is funny if someone would say to you:02br
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00I will see you after 10 minutes LOOOOOOOOOOL.02br
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00SO at last, I think I got it! 02br
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00Ohhh it's such a relief!0-

Magic79 · Answer

0Since we are talking about the future (I will finish in/after 10 minutes), I think we need to talk to the correspondent past expressions.02br
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01font00future 02font00 01font00past02font02br
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01font00 in02font01font00 02font00 01font00ago02font02br
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01font00after02font00 01font00before02font02br
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00Examples of the past using (ago/before):02br
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00EXAMPLE ONE (AGO):02br
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01font00I finished ten minutes 02font01font00ago02font00 = within the confine of the past 10 minutes????02br
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00EXAMPLE TWO (BEFORE):02br
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01font00I finished 01font00before02font00 10 minutes02font00 = could mean I finished one hour ago, or even yesterday and thus we should avoid it so as not to confuse anyone!!??? 0-

Goodman · Answer

0Let me clarify something in case there is a misconception. 02br
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00Scenario: I am ironing my shirt and I have not been addressed yet for the party.00 00I am running behind schedule to pick up my girl friend who lives a mile from me. So I called her to let her know that I was running late but I would be over her house in 30 minutes. 02br
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00The 30 minutes is what I thought it would take for me to finish my ironing, getting address and driving over to her house.00 00This is implying it won’t be sooner. 02br
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00But no one will say “I will meet you after 10 minutes at the lobby”. If you think you can’t make it within 10 minutes, you probably will say “I will meet you at the lobby in half hour”. 02br
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00Just so it’s clear… I think you got the general idea though.02br
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0-

in/after ten minutes?

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